In cacti as well as in many other botanical families, grafting is a common practice, usually adopted to grow delicate plants more easily and to speed up the growth rates of the plants themselves. In short, it consists of combining a delicate plant with a robust plant, which will provide the former with nourishment and encourage its growth.

Those who follow this site know well that the “philosophy” underlying the cultivation of cacti and succulents adopted by me is based on obtaining plants as similar as possible to those in the habitat. My approach to cultivation is essentially simple and spartan and is inspired by the so-called “wild” cultivation method, which precisely has the aim of obtaining cacti with a natural, lived-in appearance and, overall, as similar as possible to what plants have in nature. It is for this reason that it is not my habit to practice grafting cacti, which can certainly be a useful technique in many cases but which does not lead, from an aesthetic point of view, to obtaining specimens similar to those that grow in their habitat. This is not only due to the very fact that one plant grows grafted onto another, but also due to the fact that grafted plants tend over time to take on very different characteristics from those of plants grown naturally. In fact, grafted plants can have much more swollen stems, sometimes deformed compared to the norm and even the thorns can grow differently.

However, given the high number of growers who practice grafting (also useful for speeding up the growth of cacti and making them flower so as to be able to pollinate them to have seeds with which to reproduce them) or who do not disdain the cultivation of grafted plants and considered many questions that they reached me over time via email, here, for completeness, is an article that deals with this practice and explains how to graft cacti (…)

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L'articolo Grafting cactus: when a succulent plant can be grafted and what is the correct procedure to follow proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Without dwelling too much on the broad field of plant classification (here, if you want, you will find an article dedicated to this topic) and taking it for granted that the term “succulent plants” refers both to cacti and to many other succulent botanical families whose specimens have a different appearance from any other cactus, we are addressing a very “heartfelt” topic among novice growers. Even the grower who boasts a good knowledge of a given family, however, may find the following article useful, which recommends succulent plants (belonging to various botanical families) that are less demanding, more robust and simple to grow and therefore more suitable for those who are only now approaching the world of succulents. (…)

Premise

With a minimum of initial documentation and experience it is possible to grow all succulents without particular difficulties. Striking down to the essentials, the main cultivation elements to take into consideration are the substrates, watering, exposure and temperatures. In many cases these elements may be common to different types of succulents, for example the substrates, which for succulents must always be very draining, rich in inert materials and able to dry quickly. Other cultivation factors, however, can vary enormously from family to family but also from genus to genus. Some examples: cacti tolerate the cold well, while succulents originating from Madagascar or some African areas (e.g. Adenium, Uncarina, Pachypodium) cannot resist temperatures below 15-16 Celsius degrees. In the same Cactaceae family we find genera that are very resistant to cold (Echinopsis, Pediocactus, Opuntia) and genera that do not tolerate low temperatures (epiphytic cacti such as Epiphyllum, Schlumbergera, Rhipsalis or Melocactus and Discocactus).

This is why, for those who are only now approaching the cultivation of succulents, it is important to know which plants to start with in order to accumulate experience and best cultivate the newly purchased plants. The discussion, as mentioned, applies as much to cacti as to all other succulent families, since an enthusiast can be an expert in cacti and approach other families for the first time, such as Crassulaceae, Aizoaceae, Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, etc.

Cactus

Let’s start with cacti. The first genera recommended to those who have no experience with these plants are undoubtedly Echinopsis, Gymnocalycium, Rebutia, Parodia (=Notocactus), Opuntia, Ferocactus. Be careful, there are many other cacti that are easy to grow but if you have to suggest some kind, you can’t go wrong with these. These are genera that group together very robust species, with few demands, capable of tolerating many cultivation errors and at the same time easily giving abundant and splendid blooms.

Attention: in some cases by clicking on the genus you will be directed to the downloadable PDF cultivation sheet of that same genus: a useful and detailed tool (4 pages) to deepen your knowledge of those plants.

Echinopsis are very common plants, extremely robust and able to tolerate the cold very well. They are therefore ideal for those who do not have a greenhouse or winter shelter (cold environment, necessary to encourage flowering). Echinopsis can spend the winter outdoors, often even in damp soil, although it is advisable to place them under a shed or porch. In spring and summer they produce showy flowers with a large corolla and long calyx.

Gymnocalycium are plants of South American origin (Argentina). They are easy to grow, tolerate the cold well (not frost: it is best that they do not go below 5 Celsius degrees and always in dry soil) and have growth rates that are not particularly slow. Furthermore, the genus brings together a large number of very different species and even just by cultivating Gymnocalycium it is possible to set up a very respectable collection. They flower in spring and summer already 4 or 5 years after sowing.

Other cacti recommended for those with little experience are the Rebutia. These are plants of South American origin, generally globose and with a tendency to cluster. Cultivation is very simple and their strong point are the flowers. In spring, these cacti produce an impressive quantity of medium-sized flowers of various colors depending on the species.

Parodia (once classified as Notocactus) are robust and very easy to grow cacti. They are satisfied with little care, have growth rates that are not excessively slow and produce beautiful blooms at the apex during the summer. Depending on the species, the flowers can be yellow, purple, red, orange. Even the thorns are variable from species to species and you can go from plants with slender and thin thorns to plants with very respectable thorns (P. maassii, P. buiningii).

Opuntias are bombproof cacti. They grow quickly, tolerate intense cold, multiply extremely easily by cutting and in many countries they can grow in the open ground, even exposed to bad weather during the winter. They can reach large dimensions (especially if grown in open ground) and produce beautiful flowers with colors ranging from pink to red, from yellow to orange.

Finally, for lovers of thorns, the first genus to recommend is Ferocactus. These are very robust cacti, always equipped with notable thorns, easy to grow, as long as they are guaranteed plenty of light, and grow relatively quickly. Some species flower relatively early (F. macrodiscus, F. schwarzii), others require at least a dozen years to produce the first flowers. Many species of Ferocactus can reach considerable dimensions even if grown in pots. However, those who have little experience with cacti should avoid starting with Ferocactus johnstonianus and Ferocactus lindsayi: two slightly more demanding and slow-growing species.

Crassulaceae

If you’re not particularly fond of thorns, the Crassulaceae family offers a wide variety of succulent genera and species. This family includes genera such as Aeonium, Adromischus, Crassula, Echeveria, Kalanchoe, Graptopetalum, Pachyphytum and the immortals Sedum and Sempervivum. Recommending a genus or a single species is almost superfluous: all Crassulaceae are easy to grow, very decorative, resistant and have good tolerance to cold. Having to indicate a couple of plants of this family, we can mention the very widespread Crassula ovata, called “jade tree”, with a small tree shape and oval, fleshy and bright green leaves. Another very interesting genus from an aesthetic point of view and easy to grow is that of Echeveria: plants of Mexican origin, very robust and with a characteristic rosette shape. Thanks to the high number of species and the many crossings carried out over the years, an infinite variety of Echeveria is available, with colored leaves that can range from blue to red.

Euphorbia

The Euphorbia family is very vast and includes very different genera. You can go from plants with a rounded stem without thorns, such as E. obesa, to plants with a columnar, curled shape, with leaves and thorns. Overall, the cultivation of Euphorbia is simple, but there is no shortage of species that require some experience. To begin with, E. resinifera, a very resistant and adaptable plant, E. enopla and E. obesa, beautiful and with an epidermis characterized by fascinating striations, can be indicated.

Agaves

It’s hard to go wrong with Agaves. These are very robust succulents, extremely adaptable and very easy to grow. In reality, they can almost be ignored completely: if placed in draining soil they are satisfied with rainwater, they resist intense sun and cold very well, to the point that in many regions they are grown in the open ground. They have rather rapid growth rates and many species can reach considerable sizes within a few years, particularly if kept in open ground.

Aloe

Even Aloes, in some ways similar to Agaves, are succulent plants suitable for those who are approaching the world of succulents and do not yet have much experience. Compared to Agaves, however, Aloes (succulent plants of African origin) tolerate intense cold less and should be kept at minimum temperatures no lower than 6-7 degrees. To begin with, you can start from the common but always elegant Aloe vera, a robust and relatively fast growing plant. Other very widespread and easy to grow species are Aloe arborescens and Aloe variegata, very easy to propagate and very generous with blooms.

Hoya

Finally, a succulent plant belonging to the Asclepiadaceae family. Hoya has seen its popularity grow among green enthusiasts in recent years. Aesthetically it has little in common with other succulents, but it is still a very decorative plant, also suitable for home cultivation and capable of producing beautiful cluster blooms. The star-shaped flowers are very particular, they have fleshy and smooth petals to the point that the Hoya themselves are also known as “porcelain flower” or “wax flower”. The plant produces long stems from which thick and fleshy leaves are formed, ranging in color from dark green to bright green, up to green streaked with yellow. Cultivation is simple and growth is relatively fast. Furthermore, Hoya also tolerate relatively low temperatures well, around 10 Celsius degrees.

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L'articolo Succulent plants, a small guide for those approaching this world: the simplest species to grow proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Among these, some species of Echinocereus, as the plant you see in the photo, which I had given up for dead, and whitch instead was reborn after two winters spent entirely outdoors, exposed to the cold and humidity whitch characterizes northern Italy. In this article here is the history of this plant and a brief overview of the succulent plants that we can keep outdoors all year round. (…)

Premise

The precautions we take to protect our succulents during the winter months, particularly in the Northern regions, are important. Yes, because if it is true that most cacti and many succulents (to understand the difference between cacti and succulents you can read this article) have good resistance to the cold, it is equally true that too much watering or a night frost is enough to seriously damage these plants or, potentially, trigger rot, particularly if the cold is accompanied by prolonged environmental humidity conditions. Moving the plants to a place sheltered from the rain, covering them with various layers of non-woven fabric, sheltering them in not cramped greenhouses and airing them on sunny days is certainly the best solution to minimize losses. In some cases even this is not enough: think of cacti such as Melocactus, Discocactus and all epiphytes, or succulents originating from Madagascar and some African areas, such as many Euphorbias and all Adenium obesum. All these plants require minimum temperatures not lower than 15-16 Celsius degrees and must therefore be brought indoors from at least mid-October, when the night-time minimum temperatures begin to drop significantly.

Here you will find an article with two downloadable PDF handbooks with the ideal placement for the various succulents in winter.

The Echinocereus returned from the cold

Having made the necessary introduction, here is the story of this Echinocereus of mine who wanted to amaze me, at the same time giving me an important lesson and reiterating the concept – which I have already assimilated thanks to other experiences in the past – that with succulent plants it is important not to give anything for granted. The plant in question is an Echinocereus laui. I grow a few specimens of the Echinocereus genus and I grow them mainly for the flower, since I don’t find the stems or thorns of these plants particularly attractive (with a few exceptions such as E. lindsayi). The plant you see in the photos has been with me for several years. Doing some quick calculations, just under twenty years to be more precise and the story of his “apparent death” and rebirth (in the cold) dates back at least four years. Initially this plant, which I took while still very small, in a 6 or 7 centimeter pot, grew regularly, soon starting to take on its columnar shape (although its size was limited to about fifteen centimeters) and to flower regularly.

At a certain point, years ago, the main stem sent out a branch and the plant, little by little, took on a “double” appearance: over time the stem and the branch in short reached the same height. Well before the branch reached the main stem, however, the latter began to bend significantly, to the point that I decided to tie it to a plant support. In those years the plant grew regularly and flowered, as can be seen from the photo on the side. After further years, when the two stems were now even, the Echinocerus began to slow down its growth, until it stopped completely. The apex did not develop and did not produce new spines. In the meantime, the stems were bending more and more noticeably despite the support and the lower part of the plant began to take on a grey, not at all encouraging, appearance.

After a couple of seasons, seeing that the Echinocereus showed no signs of recovery and that the entire stem had now taken on an ugly greyish colour, I thought there was nothing left to do. The plant did not grow or flower. It showed no obvious signs of rot but the color of the stem seemed like a complete condemnation, to the point that I didn’t even bother to dig up the plant and check the roots. Considering it to be in fact already dead, I limited myself to removing it from the greenhouse and taking it outside, placing it along a low wall where I usually leave the plants affected by some fungus or otherwise dead. The wall is located along a field and offers no shelter from the rain and, obviously, from the cold. I use it mostly to let the plants go in peace when I think there’s nothing left to do…

The Echinocerus spent the final part of the summer in that position, the entire following winter and, since I completely forgot about it, the entire year after that, including the winter. Only after a year and a half, therefore, did the plant manage to attract my attention. How did it do? Simply flowering, so that while hanging out near the greenhouse I spotted a couple of spots of color in the distance (Echinocereus laui produces beautiful magenta flowers, not as large as those of other Echinocereus but still very showy). Not without surprise, I approached the wall after almost two years and discovered that the Echinocereus had not only survived two winters in the cold, in full humidity and receiving the rain that had fallen in all that time, but had started again. The recovery was evident: the apical part of the two stems was green, the plant had produced new thorns perfectly identical to the old ones, and had flowered. As proof of all this, here in this article are some of the photos I took on that occasion.

Here’s a good lesson for me: the plant I had given up on had come back to life, in my face, and had attracted my attention by starting to flower again. All this without any treatment from me, in fact, resisting the cold and humidity of two winters and returning to grow as if nothing had happened. Obviously, as soon as I discovered that the Echinocereus was in full vegetation and, even with the old part of the stem still grey, I brought it back to the greenhouse, where it is still found today and where every year the two stems, increasingly longer and increasingly prostrate (I gave up the support, letting the plant take on the shape it wanted or needed to take on) they regularly give me splendid blooms in late spring. Once again Nature has shown me that, no matter what we do, in the end it is always and only she who decides.

Succulents that tolerate cold

Despite the “rebirth” of my Echinocereus, it must be said that this genus of cactus is among the most inclined to tolerate low temperatures. Of course, as a precaution I don’t recommend keeping your Echinocereus outdoors all year round, also because some species resist better than others and not all would survive, but the genus is robust, there’s no doubt about that. 

As regards, more generally, succulent plants that tolerate the cold well and that we can leave outdoors all year round, albeit with some precautions, here is a small overview based on my experience over many years of cultivation.

As obvious as we want, but among the first succulents that have a good relationship with the cold we cannot fail to mention the Agaves. In many areas of Italy (even in the North, particularly in the areas close to lakes) and in southern France (French Riviera) these succulents can also be grown in the open ground. In pots they can remain outdoors all year round, although the advice is to keep them under sheds or porches to prevent the soil from remaining constantly damp. Among the Agaves, the exception is the macroacantha species, which cannot resist intense cold and excessive humidity. This species must therefore be sheltered and kept at temperatures no lower than 3 or 4 Celsius degrees. Also be careful with Aloes, which many mistakenly associate with Agaves. Aloes are plants of African origin and require significantly higher minimum temperatures than Agaves (although 6 or 7 Celsius degrees are sufficient) and should not be watered in winter.

Still remaining in the field of non-cacaceae succulents, the Sempervivum and Sedum (genera belonging to the Crassulaceae family) should be mentioned without hesitation. For these plants, which also grow in the mountains, winter is a… walk in the park and they thrive better in the cold than closed in a greenhouse or sheltered by layers of non-woven fabric. Sedum and Sempervivum can therefore be left outdoors all year round without any shelter from the rain: they grow better in the cold than in the oppressive heat of summer!

Cacti that resist outdoors

Most cacti can handle the cold very well, even intense temperatures, i.e. with night-time lows around zero Celsius degrees (even a few degrees lower), as long as they are in a dry substrate from the end of September. Some genera are even more robust and can be kept outdoors all year round, in some cases even in damp soil (but avoiding the stagnation that can be created with excessively peaty substrates or, worse, leaving the plants resting on saucers).

Among the most resistant cactaceae are undoubtedly almost all Echinopsis, which are often left on balconies and terraces with the only precaution of sheltering them from the rain (although these plants are often able to survive even in damp soil). Almost all Opuntias are very robust and, like the Agaves, in some areas (Southern Italy, the Ligurian Riviera, the French Riviera) grow in the open ground without any problem. Tephrocactus, Chilean plants that have some affinities with Opuntia, also tolerate the cold well and can spend the winter outdoors, as long as they are sheltered from the rain. However, a spray from time to time during the winter months is useful for these cacti, which if kept dry for months easily lose their “cladodes” (the new parts of the stem). Within the Tephrocactus genus, however, it is useful to keep the geometricus species sheltered, which is very “in fashion” in recent years: the cold and humidity easily cause stains on the stem of this cactus.

Other genera of cacti accustomed to spending long periods in intense cold are the Pediocactus and the Escobaria (almost all species). These are not very widespread genera but are ideal for those who want to grow cacti without having to move them in the winter months. Pediocactus and some species of Escobaria (for example E. vivipara) can tolerate temperatures several degrees below zero even in damp soil. For years I have kept some specimens of Pediocactus (simpsonii and knowltonii) and some Escobaria vivipara outside the greenhouse all year round, letting them get the rain even in winter: they have always resisted and flowered regularly.

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L'articolo Succulents outdoor all year? Here are the ones that resist and the story of my “resurrected” Echinocereus proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

In this article we deepen our knowledge of Echeveria laui, we understand why it has this appearance which is certainly not unique in the world of succulents but undoubtedly peculiar, and we learn how to grow it correctly. (…)

Premise

The Echeveria genus is part of the vast Crassulaceae family, leafy succulents with a variable shape from rosette to small tree. All Echeveria are native to the American continent and in particular to Mexico. Echeveria laui, in particular, is native to the Tomelin Caňon area, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The name of the genus was coined by the Swiss botanist Augustin Pyrame de Candolle (1778-1841), who in this way wanted to pay homage to the Mexican artist, botanist and naturalist Atanasio Echeverría y Godoy, to whom we owe a great deal of research (together to other botanists and researchers) on Mexican flora and fauna.

The stem of Echeveria is always rosette-shaped, initially flattened but over time tending to rise slightly in height following the development of the central stem from which the leaves branch out. And already in terms of leaves, the laui species differs from the majority of Echeveria: if generally the rosettes of these plants are made up of elongated leaves that end in a point, those of the laui species are blunt, rounded, almost ovoid, and give the together an even more harmonious and “soft” appearance.

Specifically, E. laui is a species (according to some authors it would actually be a hybrid) described for the first time in 1976. The plant immediately received great favor among nurserymen and collectors precisely because of its unique appearance in Crassulaceae family.

The wax coating

The real peculiarity of the laui species, however, is the massive production of wax coating (“farina” or cuticular wax) which entirely covers the leaves. The farina is nothing other than a wax produced by many succulents and some cacti (an example above all, the genus Copiapoa with the cinerea species), which serves to limit the transpiration of the liquids contained in the stems or leaves and to protect the plant from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. The wax is whitish and it is not it that gives the plant its blue color. As in many Echeveria, in fact, it is the leaves that are blue in colour, in the case of the laui more intense: the strong presence of wax accentuates this color and gives the plant a “waxy” appearance or similar to that would be obtained by painting the rosettes with blue paint (a very different thing from the horrible practice of actually painting the succulents with brightly colored paints to increase their sales!).

In some succulent plants – for example Copiapoa – the wax coating can be compact and resist watering. This is not the case with Echeveria laui: it is enough to touch a leaf with a finger to ruin the homogeneity of the colour. For this reason this plant must be watered from below, by immersion, or by wetting only the soil, avoiding watering from above, like rain. Any treatments with products such as Neem oil, copper oxychloride, etc., carried out by nebulization, should also be avoided. Finally, be careful when repotting, for obvious reasons. The task of flaring and repotting a plant by touching it as little as possible is undoubtedly difficult, but with some precautions it is possible to carry out the operation while limiting the aesthetic damage to a minimum. For example, you can grab the plant at the base, especially if you are dealing with specimens of a certain age, since in this way you can only touch the central stem. Or you can delicately hold the plant by the edges of the basal leaves and then grab the block of soil to place it in the new pot without touching the central part of the plant.

Cultivation

The cultivation of Echeveria is simple and within everyone’s reach and the laui species is no exception (except for what concerns watering and repotting, to be carried out with the precautions described above). Echeveria laui is a robust plant and resists prolonged drought as well as cold very well. Like all Echeveria, it fears water stagnation and should therefore be grown in substrates suitable for cacti or in substrates with 40% peat and 60% inert materials such as pumice, lapillus, gravel. Thanks to the strong presence of wax coating, E. laui resists direct sun well (if gradually accustomed from the end of March) but the ideal is to place it in a place where direct sun is limited to half a day. For the rest, lots of indirect light so that the plant can produce wax coating and maintain its compact appearance.

Watering must be moderate: water from mid-March to the end of October only when the soil is perfectly dry and fertilize with a specific product for succulent plants (with low nitrogen content) a couple of times a year.

During the winter, Echeveria should be sheltered from the rain but should not be brought indoors. In fact, these are plants capable of withstanding the cold very well, even up to 2 Celsius degrees above zero, with sporadic peaks at zero degrees. It is essential that the soil is dry from the end of October and that the plant has as much air as possible available. In the cold, the blue rosettes of E. laui can take on beautiful pink shades.

Where to place succulents in winter? Two very useful handbooks.

The growth times of this species are rather slow. The young plants grow relatively quickly in the first two or three years, then they slow down and it takes six to seven years to have rosettes of at least ten centimeters in diameter (the largest specimens can reach 15 centimeters in diameter).

Flowering

The flowering of E. laui is not dissimilar to those of other Echeveria species: the floral stem, up to 30 centimeters long in adult specimens, develops in late spring and between the end of spring and summer. It emerges from the center of the rosette (although in some cases there may be multiple stems, one from the center and others from the sides of the rosette), grows in height and then takes on an arched shape. The actual yellow and orange flowers form from the stem, protected by thick, fleshy bracts.

Propagation

The propagation of this wonderful succulent takes place in spring and can be done through sowing or, more simply, by leaf cutting, as for any other species of Echeveria. It is sufficient to remove a well-formed leaf, let it dry for at least a week in a shaded place so that the “callus” forms on the part detached from the mother plant, and then place the leaf on sand or even peat with a few inerts (pumice, perlite). For the first few weeks you will not have to water but it will be sufficient to mist often. Over the course of a few weeks, roots or new, tiny leaves will begin to emerge from the attachment of the leaf to the rosette. For the first few months we proceed with frequent nebulizations and when the new plant begins to be characterized and equipped with roots we can proceed with the first repotting.

Adversity

Robust plants, Echeveria fear two things more than anything else: water stagnation, which leads to root rot, and cochineal. A common enemy of all succulents, cochineal can be cottony or radical. The first forms white tufts that nestle among the leaves, near the central stem; the second is decidedly more insidious since it hides in the roots and its presence is only noticed when repotting or, unfortunately, when it is too late and the plant shows signs of suffering such as the wilting of the leaves, often followed by induced rot from the weakening of the plant caused by cochineal.

To find out more about succulent parasites, learn to recognize them and intervene when necessary, you can read this article. Other articles on parasites and diseases of succulent plants are collected in this section of the site.

At this link you will find a detailed downloadable PDF sheet (4 pages) dedicated to the Echeveria genus.

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• Repotting: all the articles

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L'articolo Splendid but… untouchable: Echeveria laui, when the sky is reflected in a succulent plant proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

A practical handbook and an in-depth analysis on a much debated topic among those who grow succulent and/or cactus plants. Here’s what you’ll find by reading this article, designed specifically to help those who, with the first drops in temperatures, are starting to wonder where to place their succulents when the real cold arrives. Unless you have a greenhouse, perhaps equipped with a burner regulated by a thermostat, the question is in fact more than pertinent: during the winter it is better to keep the succulent plants outside (sheltered from the rain), or in a cool environment such as a landing, an internal staircase or even a garage? Or should we bring all the plants indoors? It is good to clarify immediately that the answer to these questions cannot be tranchant or “absolute”: obviously the correct winter location depends on many factors, starting from the area in which the plants are grown (North or South Italy? North or South Europe? Sea or high mountains?) to arrive at the type of plant (Cactaceae, succulent native to Africa or Madagascar? Sempervivum, Crassula, Euphorbia?). In short, the range of cases is very broad and as always there are no absolute rules. Luckily there are many fixed points and many precautions that should be respected to ensure that our succulents pass the winter securely and take advantage of the vegetative stasis to be able to flower again the following year.

The following article answers these questions, and you will also find an indication of the correct measures to be taken to ensure that cacti and succulents overwinter in the best possible way, have abundant blooms and, above all, you’ll find a practical handbook with an indication of the best location for cacti and succulents organized in alphabetical order, so as to facilitate the identification of the plant, understand in which minimum temperature range it can stay and where it can be placed (for example outside, on a landing, or directly inside the house). (…)

Premise

Succulent plants, whether Cactaceae or succulent plants belonging to other families such as Crassulaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Euphorbiaceae, etc., are not houseplants. They can certainly adapt to home cultivation, but they are plants that require light, air and which find their best location in outdoor environments such as windowsills, terraces, gardens or open greenhouses. This, of course, in the growing season which generally runs from March to October. The problem, and therefore the focus of this article, is winter, also because not everyone has the possibility of having a greenhouse or a garden. Given the slight drop in temperatures in recent days, questions are growing regarding how to behave in view of the cold weather in the coming months. As always, given that succulents are a varied world, made up of thousands of botanical species, unfortunately there is no single answer. However, there are parameters and references on which we can rely to give the correct answer to the question regarding wintering. These parameters are essentially the guides underlying the handbook that you will find at the end of the article.

Attention: this article is designed specifically for those who are not yet very familiar with these plants and need practical information and quick answers: for example, I have this succulent, where can I place it when it gets cold? For more specific insights and tables with the minimum temperatures that succulents can reach, it is possible to refer to two other articles published in the past. The first article, accompanied by a table with minimum temperatures, can be found at this link. The second article, which deals with seasonal care in detail, can be reached via this link.

Cacti

Let’s begin to distinguish between Cactaceae and succulent plants in general. The distinction is not intended to complicate the matter, but rather to simplify it to more quickly identify the correct solution to the initial question: where to place the plants during the winter? If you want to learn more about the difference between a cactus and any other succulent (for example Euphorbia, Echeveria, Lithops), you will find this article helpful.

Almost all cacti tolerate low temperatures very well. By low temperatures we mean minimums close to zero Celsius degrees or even well below this value. The cacti can therefore also be placed outside as long as watering is completely suspended at the end of September and they are positioned in a cold place sheltered from the rain. These are also the essential conditions for the plants to flower from the following spring. Therefore, a terrace, a balcony or a garden are fine. The important thing is that the cacti do not take on water until the end of March and the temperatures do not fall below zero Celsius degrees for several consecutive nights. In the event of frost or prolonged nights with temperatures well below zero, it is advisable to move the plants to a less cold place, even if only temporarily. A useful precaution is to cover the cacti with at least two or three layers of non-woven fabric: naturally it doesn’t work miracles, but two or three degrees more ensures them and, above all, allows transpiration, preventing condensation from forming on the plants or a humid environment is created, which is very dangerous for these plants as it favors the formation of stains on the stem, mold and fungi. On sunny winter days it is useful to raise the tissue even for a couple of hours to ensure the plants have a good exchange of air. It is best to avoid small greenhouses closed by thick sheets of transparent plastic, unless you always leave them open during daylight hours.

An exception to this basic rule are some genera of cacti, which do not tolerate the cold and should therefore be kept indoors or in environments where temperatures do not fall below certain limits (for example an internal staircase, a landing or even a garage). In these cases it is not necessary for the plants to receive a lot of light because if we suspend watering the cacti go into stasis and stop growing. This avoids the risk of “etiolation”, i.e. the so-called “spinning” which disfigures the plant from an aesthetic point of view. Attention: however, if we see excessive wrinkling of the stem or branches of these cacti, particularly if they are wintering indoors, it is advisable to water in moderation, at most once a month. The cacti that do not tolerate the cold are those originating from tropical areas and forests: firstly the epiphytic cacti (Schlumbergera, but also Epiphyllum, Rhipsalis, Aporocactus); secondly, two species native to Brazil and the Cuban archipelago: Melocactus and Discocactus. All these plants must winter at minimum temperatures no lower than 12/14 Celsius degrees (Melocactus and Discocactus require even higher minimum temperatures, between 16-18 Celsius degrees): you will find all the indications and the reference to the genus in the handbook accompanying this article.

Succulent

In theory, for succulents the matter becomes a little more complicated. This is because the Cactaceae is a single family that is divided into genera, species and subspecies. Succulents, on the other hand, are distributed in various families which are in turn divided into genera, species and subspecies. The number of these plants is therefore very high and providing specific indications plant by plant is almost impossible. However, even in this case it is sufficient to set a few “boundaries” to make the matter less complicated. The first element to consider is the place of origin of the plant: many succulents come from Africa or Madagascar (for example Euphorbia and Lithops). Clearly these plants require higher minimum temperatures and cultivation at home or in an environment where the minimum temperatures do not drop below 10/12 Celsius degrees is ideal. Other families or genera, for example Agave, Sempervivum and Sedum, tolerate intense cold very well, in many cases even well below freezing.

Even with succulents it is advisable to suspend or at least reduce watering during the winter months, whether they are in a cold environment or in an apartment. During the winter months, in fact, almost all plants slow down in growth and frequent watering would only expose the specimen to the risk of root rot. Generally speaking, you can adjust as follows: from the end of October to the end of March, succulents should be placed in environments sheltered from rain and at temperatures between 7 and 16 Celsius degrees. There are many exceptions, such as the aforementioned Agave, Sempervivum and Sedum, which we can keep outdoors even without protection and letting them take the rain (as long as it is not torrential and lasts for whole days). Other plants, such as some species of Euphorbia, Echeveria, Lithops (the so-called “stone plants”), tolerate the cold well but must be kept dry and at temperatures between 2 and 7 Celsius degrees. Other plants native to Africa or Madagascar, such as Adenium obesum (called “Desert Rose”), Pachypodium (the so-called “Madagascar Palm”), Uncarina and several species of Euphorbia require several degrees more because they do not tolerate the cold: all these plants will therefore have to be brought indoors from at least mid-October, unless autumn is mild and the minimum temperatures remain high even in this period, as happens in the regions of Southern Italy, Southern France or in Spain.

The handbook that completes this article will also be useful to orient you between the needs of the various succulents.

The handbook

The handbook (actually the handbooks, since one is dedicated to cacti and the other to succulents). It is intended to be a useful tool for the still inexperienced grower or for the expert grower who is approaching a particular genre for the first time. Naturally, the handbook should be considered as a tool, a sort of “map” through which to orient yourself and should not be understood as an “absolute” compendium with dogmas or strict rules, also because the temperatures indicated have been “rounded” a little upwards precisely with the aim of not putting your plants at risk (for example if the range between 5 and 10 degrees is indicated, it is very likely that the plants included in this range can tolerate even a few degrees less). Many growers have conducted experiments discovering that certain plants can resist temperatures lower than what is commonly thought, just as others have found that plants considered rustic were not able to survive the winter (in these cases, however, it is more likely that unpredictable factors have occurred, such as frequent frosts or that the specimen itself was already weak or not in perfect shape).

How to read the handbook

The handbook – both for cacti and succulents – is designed for quick and easy consultation. The three icons consider three possible environments for the wintering of plants:

1. the outside: the plants should be placed outside the house but sheltered from the rain and, for caution, protected by a few layers of non-woven fabric;
2. environments protected from rain but without heating, such as a landing, an internal stairwell, a room in the house where the radiator has been closed. For succulents that fall into this “category”, at most, even a very sheltered corner of a balcony can be fine, as long as the plants are covered by at least four layers of non-woven fabric;
3. the apartment: warm environment (generally between 18 and 20 Celsius degrees) and obviously protected from rain. In this case it is best to place the plants near a window and away from heat sources.

Each icon is color coded and genres are listed alphabetically. It is sufficient to scroll through the downloadable handbooks below, identify the genre whose needs we want to know and look at the color of the line in which the genre is written: depending on the color we then refer to the icon.

Download the handbook on winter placement of cacti

Download the handbook on winter placement of succulents

 CULTIVATION CARDS  – To further deepen your knowledge of a single genus of cactus or succulent, remember that in the website shop, at this link, detailed sheets are available in downloadable and printable PDF format with notions, anecdotes, curiosities and precise cultivation instructions. You can find the cards simply by scrolling through the shop, after the section dedicated to subscriptions.

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Correlated articles

Succulents and cold: a table with reference values
Seasonal care for cacti and succulents
How to grow cacti: the handbook

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L'articolo Where to keep succulents in winter? Outside, on a landing or in the house? A practical handbook proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Follow us on a “photo tour” through these botanical wonders. (…)

From Spain.Info we learn that “The Cactus Garden is located in an old quarry from which volcanic ashes or debris were extracted, used by the ancient prickly pear farmers to conserve the night-time humidity of the soil. The artist César Manrique was able to see in this scenario the possibility of converting a residual space into a curious area divided into terraces where over 1.400 species of perfectly classified cacti are grown. The complex, which bears the unmistakable Manrique brand, is presided over by a windmill formerly used to grind corn and now used for educational purposes”.

Overall, the Botanical Garden covers approximately 5,000 square meters and was inaugurated in 1990. A curiosity: the Garden is surrounded by the largest cactus plantation on the island, dedicated to the cultivation of cochineal – yes, one of the main pests animals of succulents – used since ancient times to obtain the characteristic red color with which to dye fabrics.

In detail, the Garden hosts about 10,000 succulent plants belonging to over 1.400 species from various areas of the world (with the exception of cacti, which grow wild only in the Americas).

In this splendid photographic report, created in recent months by my friend Luca Effretti, Il fiore tra le spine takes you on a virtual visit among the beautiful plants of the Garden of Lanzarote. You can observe magnificent and imposing specimens of Euphorbia, Ferocactus, cereus, Mammillaria, Agave, Aeonium and much more!

All photos courtesy of Luca Effretti (click the images to enlarge)

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Knowledge and curiosity
Cactus cultivation cards
Wild cultivation

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L'articolo We take you with us on an exceptional “photo tour” in the Cactus Garden of Lanzarote proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

We see them in detail in the following article (…).

Premise

By the time of June, two first dangers for succulent plants should have passed by now, if we have done everything correctly (and regardless of the fact that this spring has been quite anomalous). I am referring to the danger of cracks on the cacti stems and that of burns following a late or “hasty” exposure. Once the cacti have resumed vegetating after the winter stasis, in fact, it may happen that following the first waterings (if too abundant or too close together) the stem “splits”. In this period of the year, even in the case of a wet and cold spring like the latter, cacti and succulents should have already received at least two or three waterings and the stems of the plants should have swollen. If the recovery has taken place gradually and the plants have returned swollen, the risk of stem splitting for this year can be said to have been archived.

In some ways similar speech in terms of exposure: to date all the plants should have been in their ideal location for some time now, where they will remain until autumn. In other words, those who kept cacti and succulents in the basement, entrance halls or garages should have moved the plants to full light (or half light depending on the genre) by now, under penalty of etiolation. Abruptly moving the plants now, with the June sun starting to get stronger, can expose the plants to the risk of severe burns on the stems. Whether the spring is cool or not, whether it is humid or not, the plants must be gradually accustomed to intense sun or direct sun and this must be done between the end of March and the beginning of April. In this way cacti and succulents are able to get used to direct sunlight very gradually, strengthening the epidermis well before the summer sun hits them. If you haven’t moved your plants yet, do it immediately but repair them with shading nets (especially during the hottest hours of the day), otherwise the first burns will begin to appear in the coming weeks!

Maximum air

Having exhausted the necessary premises, which are nothing if not common practices in the correct cultivation of cacti and succulents in general, we recall that the main element of cultivation, at this point, is trivially… the air. Trivially, because this element is often underestimated, or even not considered at all, taking it for granted. The air, on the other hand, is the main factor for the healthy growth of any plant and in this season, with temperatures starting to rise significantly (on sunny days in a completely open greenhouse it can easily exceed 40 degrees Celsius already in June, let alone August), the plants need as much air circulation as possible.

Anyone who cultivates in a very large professional greenhouse will have to open the structure as much as possible, raising the side curtains and possibly leaving the front and rear doors open. Those who cultivate on balconies and terraces should have no problems whatsoever, while those who cultivate in those small greenhouses covered with a transparent cloth must do nothing but… get rid of the greenhouses, remove all the plants from there and disassemble the greenhouses, which can return comfortable, at best, in winter (although they are still not the best due to the limited air circulation they allow). In this period, if we keep the plants in this type of structure, even by raising the openings in the transparent sheet to the maximum, we will still not be able to ensure the plants the air they need, and with high temperatures and humidity the risk of “boiling” plants or creating the ideal environment for the formation of molds and fungi is very high. Therefore, if you haven’t already done so, remove the greenhouses (which can be simply used as shelves) and, since the plants will not be sufficiently accustomed to the intense sun, shield them with a not too light shading net.

The importance of air and light for succulents plants.

Watering and aestivation

In this period, even if the temperatures are not yet very high this year, it is advisable to increase the frequency of irrigation. If the days are sunny and the weather does not predict rain for the following days, it can be watered once a week. The pace can also be increased to two waterings per week for some species or succulent leafy plants if slight wrinkling is noted. As always, the basic rule is to water only when the substrate appears dry and, if in doubt, postpone it. Beware of the hot months, i.e. July and August, when the difference between the maximum and minimum night-time temperatures is minimal: in conditions of persistent heat, many cacti and many succulents can go into aestivation, slowing down or blocking their growth. In these periods it is better not to water at all, since the plants do not absorb water and the soil would remain moist for too long, with the risk of root rot being triggered.
A few more waterings will have to be reserved for very young plants and seedlings, which are not yet able to tolerate long periods of drought in hot conditions and, at the same time, “push” more than adult specimens.

On the phenomenon of aestivation you will find a specific article at this link.

Fertilization and treatments

In June it is still possible to fertilize succulents. A fertilization is enough, assuming that a first fertilization was given in May or April. If the plants have been repotted a few months ago it will not be necessary to add fertilizer to the water, but if we are dealing with specimens that have lived in the same soil for years, an extra fertilization can be useful to replenish the nutrients once present in the substrate. Pay attention to the product (whether it is in powder or liquid form, it matters little), which must be specific for succulent plants and therefore low in nitrogen and rich in phosphorus and potassium, in addition to microelements. During the real summer, that is in the months of July and August, the fertilizations must instead be suspended.

As for treatments, for years I have minimized the use of pesticides and I only use copper oxychloride and Neem oil. The first is a fungicide which should be administered by nebulization only in the months in which the plants are not in vegetation (in this period it should therefore be avoided). The second is a natural product, with low environmental impact, against parasites, mites and with a modest fungicidal function. Neem oil can be administered, always by nebulization, even in this period, with the foresight to act only when the sun has gone down or early in the morning, before direct light reaches the plants. Targeted fungicides and insecticides can be used in specific cases, for example in the event of an attack by the cochineal or rot that affects several plants. In these cases it is always important to isolate sick specimens from healthy ones and carry out targeted treatments every two weeks.

Here you will find a detailed article on the main adversities of succulents, with general indications on how to intervene.

Always remember that the best weapon against pests and diseases of succulents is correct cultivation, in particular a spartan cultivation, with lots of light, lots of air, little fertilization and little fertilizing.

To repot or not to repot?

In this case there is no definitive answer: during the summer it is possible to repot. Personally I prefer to avoid – except in cases in which the intervention cannot be deferred as the plant is in evident state of suffering and has probably lost its roots – and to postpone repotting until the end of winter and spring. With new purchases, especially if the plants are in peat, repotting is instead recommended at any time of the year: it is better to stress the plant a little rather than leave it in an unsuitable substrate, running the risk of triggering rot. As always, if you repot and clean or shorten the roots, it is important to leave the flared plant in a shady place for at least ten days before repotting. After repotting, wait another week or two before watering, so as to give the roots time to heal effectively. This precaution is especially important in spring and summer, when the plants are growing and are watered regularly: obviously in winter the problem does not arise, since many succulents and almost all cacti must be kept in dry soil.

Other practices

Otherwise, summer is a relatively quiet time for the cactus and succulent grower. It is sufficient to observe the specimens and understand whether they are slowing down their growth (aestivation) or not and adjust accordingly with watering. Finally, a little maintenance certainly doesn’t hurt: you can cut the now dry floral stems in the case of plants such as Aloe, Echeveria, Crassulaceae, etc., just as it is a good thing to remove the dried flowers of the cacti, which with watering they soak in water and can feed molds and fungi.

Seasonal cures in detail

If you want a complete picture of seasonal care, with everything you need to do in spring, summer, autumn and winter to take care of cacti and succulents in the best possible way, you can consult this summary article.

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Correlated articles

Watering cacti and succulents: when and how
How to repot cacti and succulent plants
Substrates for cacti and succulents
The correct soil: the materials you can use

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L'articolo Towards summer: useful tips for taking care of cacti and succulents and avoiding nasty surprises proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

The topic is a classic and the question is among the most frequently asked among cactus and succulent growers: until when can I water my plants? In other words, given that – as even less expert growers know – it is advisable to keep cacti cold and dry during the winter months until they can be watered, when exactly should we stop watering? And again: should watering be suspended completely or will it just have to be reduced? Are there cacti that can or should also be watered in autumn and winter? Are there any non-cacti succulent plants, especially those with leaves, which need to be watered even in the winter months, otherwise the branches and leaves will wither? It is clear that part of the answer to these questions can vary according to the place where we grow plants (there is a big difference, just to give an example in the Northern hemisphere, between Sicily and Great Britain, Spain or Germany), but in principle it can be said that there are many fixed points that every grower must know and respect in order for his succulents to grow healthy and robust and to flower profusely. Above all, there are some fixed points that must be respected to avoid, quite simply, rotting our cacti and succulent plants during the winter or early spring.

And since the period in which most of the cacti and succulents will go into vegetative stasis is approaching, it is advisable to deepen these fixed points and learn to at least distinguish the macro-water needs of the various families of succulents. This is exactly what we will do in the following article (…)

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L'articolo Summer is at the end of the line: until when can we water cacti and succulent plants? proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Let’s see in this article how to correctly choose the plants for our compositions (…)

Avoiding difficult cohabitation

First of all, compositions with different plant families should be avoided: succulents together with tropical plants such as orchids, or succulents together with carnivorous plants, just to mention a couple of examples, are combinations to be discarded without any doubt. The needs of plants belonging to different families can be completely irreconcilable, and by making an arrangement we are forcing some plants into a coexistence (in a pot, bowl or any container) that in nature would never occur and that in the long run is bound to fail. So why should we throw away time, labor, materials and plants just to enjoy for a few days or a few weeks a combination that only works from the point of view of our aesthetic standards?

Being coherent with the philosophy of this site, let’s then talk about arrangements made only with succulent plants (vulgarly known as “fat plants”). Again, however, it’s important to consider that the world of succulents is very broad and includes dozens of families, hundreds of genera and thousands of species, each with its own specific needs. In some cases the needs are compatible, in others less so, and in others not at all. A first important distinction to do is between cactaceae and noncactaceous succulents. As is usually said, while it’s true that all cacti are succulent plants, it’s true at the same time that not all succulent plants are cacti. And the difference between a cactus and any other succulent (e.g., a Lithops, a Crassula, an Euphorbia, etc.) can be quite remarkable not so much in shape and appearance as in growing requirements. So much so that the coexistence of these plants in a single pot may prove impossible or at any rate short-lived.

For those who want to approach the subject and begin to understand the difference between a cactacea and any other succulent plant, I recommend reading this introductory article of mine on classification. Don’t be frightened by the topic: actually learning to distinguish the various succulent plant families is less difficult than it may seem!

Choosing plants

The first criterion in identifying plants for composition is based, of course, on the personal taste. Anyway, it may be useful to keep in mind a few simple pointers. For example, it may be interesting, for the purposes of the final result, to choose plants with different bearing, so as to achieve a “wavy” composition, with tree-like succulents and others with low or prostrate habit. But even this, all things considered, is related to the aesthetic taste, and compositions made with several specimens of a single succulent genus can also prove pleasing. One example? The classic bowls filled with Lithops, the so-called “stone plants”: they are beautiful because of their similar shape but infinite color shades. On the other hand, the “objective” factors to regard when placing several plants in one container are the following: soil, frequency of watering, minimum tolerated temperatures, and exposure. Assuming that we are talking here about succulent plants, the combinations can be many, as long as we choose plants that have similar needs in terms of soil, watering, temperature and exposure. It is enough to know a minimum of the characteristics of the various succulent families to select which plants we can combine and which are better not to keep in one container. An example: I do not recommend putting cacti with leafy succulents (e.g., Crassula, Echeveria, Hoya, etc.) in the same composition. The reason is very simple: cacti can live for months without water, while most leafy succulents if they stay dry for a few weeks start to perish. The water requirements of these families are very different, and while coexistence is still possible, my opinion is that it’s not the case to complicate life and, above all, make the plants suffer or otherwise grow in unsuitable conditions.

Related to the frequency of watering is the issue regarding the potting soil: a cactacea, as well as a Lithops or several species of Euphorbia with a compact bearing, grows best in poor substrates, with a lot of aggregates and little organic material, while leafy succulents need significantly higher percentages of organic matter (at least 50 percent). It’s clear that in a container shared by all plants, we are not able to use different potting soils according to individual needs, but we have to to stick to the criterion of “one size fits all,” that is, the product that will satisfy all needs.

Temperatures are also important, unless we decide to keep the composition indoors all year round (but I’ll never recommend it for succulent plants). There are succulents, such as cacti, that in dry potting soil can tolerate temperatures well below freezing without problems; others that cannot go below 12-14 degrees (e.g., Adenium, several species of Euphorbia, and all succulents native to Madagascar).

Similar discussion for exposure: some succulents want a lot of light, if not direct sun, while others do not tolerate excessive levels of sunlight and grow well in half shade (many Euphorbia and the Haworthia, to name a couple of cases). Clearly, if we put several plants in one container, it’s appropriate to choose specimens with similar light requirements, so that we do not have problems or imbalances in growth, with healthy plants and others sunburned or etiolated and suffering from too much or too little sun.

Choosing the container

This is a purely aesthetic question related to personal taste, as much for colour as for shape (square pot or rectangular box, round pot, tall pot, low pot, bowl, etc.). Just a couple of considerations: the container chosen for compositions must be adequate for the number of plants we intend to place and must be deep enough. In other words, the container must be able to comfortably accommodate the root bread of the plants that you place there. This may seem like an obvious clarification, but taking into account that very often for compositions we use those beautiful enameled pots for bonsai, I think it’s necessary to remember that the less space we give the roots to be able to develop, the more we limit the growth of the plants (and maybe this is exactly what we want: to make a composition in which the plants are always “under control,” that is, of limited size…). When choosing a container, the only imperative is: make sure it has drainage hole(s)! Water stagnation is detrimental to all types of plants, except aquatic plants…. Regarding the material, anything can be ok, and each element, terracotta, plastic, aluminum, wood, can be valid or not.

For a more in-depth look at the topic, I recommend reading this specific article.

How to proceed

Once the plants and container have been chosen, the first thing to do is to try arranging the succulents in the new pot or bowl without removing them from the plastic pots to get an idea of how to make the composition. For this purpose, it may be useful to spread a layer of one or two centimeters of expanded clay on the bottom of the new pot: this way we can easily move the plants around and try several combinations to get arrangement we like best. Of course, we can also decide to include other elements in the composition, such as rocks or pebbles of various sizes. Again, the “trial run” with the plants still in their individual pots is most useful to get clear ideas before proceeding definitively.

Once we have found the arrangement we prefer, it can be useful to take a photo with the cell phone (which is always handy), so that any doubts can be cleared up immediately when we go to repot the plants by removing them from their individual pots to arrange them in the new container. If the plants are in the correct substrate, i.e., peat and aggregates, it’s enough to take them out of the pot, check that there are no pests in the root ball, and place them in the new container, at the bottom of which we have placed some potting soil. If, on the other hand, the plants we need to repot are in pure peat (as is often the case when buying them from non-specialized nurseries), it’s a good idea to remove some of the potting soil and untangle the roots as much as possible. With cacti this procedure should be done very firmly, removing all the peat with the help of a brush and, in case the soil loaf is very dry, with a stream of water (before repotting, however, it’s necessary to leave the plant with the roots in the air for at least a week).

Once the plants have been placed in the new container, all we have to do is fill it with potting soil, starting from the edges and going all the way to the center, avoiding leaving gaps here and there. This is both to give stability to the plants and to avoid stagnation or “puddles” when we water. When we have filled the pot with the substrate and stabilized the plants, it will be useful to tap the container lightly and several times on the shelf so that the potting soil is evenly distributed. Remember to stand at least an inch and a half below the rim of the pot with the substrate so that there is no spillage of potting soil when we water.

Finally, to complete the composition, if you like the effect, it may be useful to spread a layer of grit on the surface. You can use river gravel or aquarium quartzite (you can find it in every color): this is also a matter of personal taste. Beyond the aesthetic aspect, however, spreading a relatively heavy layer of inert material on the surface is a great way to even out the color of the substrate and to keep the pot tidy, especially when watering. The layer of inert material (it is best to avoid porous materials such as pumice and lightweight materials such as perlite) should be one centimeter thick at most. If we use gravel or quartzite, the water from watering flows quickly between the pebbles and doesn’t form stagnation around the collar. At the same time, the grit layer ensures that in the warmer months the water doesn’t evaporate too quickly, particularly if we have used a very draining potting soil. Another material to avoid for the surface layer of the arrangements is fine sand: it retains moisture around the collar of the plants for a long time, and with “vigorous” watering it leaks everywhere.

Landscaping

Quite different from the concept of “composition” is that of “landscaping“. In this second case, compositions are made with plants, but the ultimate goal is to reproduce as closely as possible the aesthetic appearance of the natural habitat. Take a look at this video and you’ll understand immediately what I mean! Thus, for these compositions there are very precise rules that govern the choice of plants, potting soil, elements that embellish the composition (rocks, branches, shrubs). In short, here the aesthetic criterion is oriented by reality, so much so that in order to create these small “habitat cutaways” one is inspired by Nature, observing in detail photographs of the environment one intends to reproduce and using materials that are compatible if not identical to those found where succulent plants grow wild (marl, chalk, field soil, sand, etc.).

If you want to know everything about the materials with which to make substrates, here you will find a specific article.

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L'articolo Compositions with succulents: how to choose plants and what is important to know proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.

Just as we find a wide variability of shapes and colors in the leaves of botanical species in general, which can be flat, fleshy, needle-shaped, ovate, heart-shaped, lanceolate, etc., we find the same variety in the thorns of cacti. Over the millennia, evolution has led to a remarkable range of shapes and colors, with spines that can have a papery or elastic and very fine consistency or, again, appear rigid, squat and short, long and broad, flat or tapered, sharp, hooked, black, gray, white, red, yellow. In general we can say that cacti are the only plants to have thorns, since in other specimens of the botanical world it is not entirely correct to speak of real thorns. Let’s think of the common roses: what we call thorns are actually excrescences that are produced along the stems, alternating with the leaves, which cacti do not have. So what exactly are thorns and how did cacti come to evolve with these “weapons” along the stem? What is the function of the spines in cacti? Why are some pointed while others are hooked? And why are there also cacti that have no thorns at all?

We will answer all these questions in the following article. (…)

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L'articolo The thorns of cacti: what they are for and why these plants have abandoned their leaves proviene da Il fiore tra le spine.